October 1 Protest organisers determined to go ahead with their march against hardship in Nigeria regardless of warnings from the Federal Government and the Nigerian Police Force. The demonstration would be nonviolent, national, with a focal point in Eagle Square, Abuja, according to activist and previous presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore. Sowore attributed the protest to problems such as increased fuel costs, depreciation of the naira, inflation, instability, and inadequate leadership. He said that thousands of people will take part in the protest, which would begin at 7 a.m. on October 1 and stressed that it would be peaceful despite government anxiety.
Though Sowore and the organisers remained unwavering in their belief that the protests are a response to the government’s inability to solve the nation’s urgent challenges, the government and police expressed concerns about safety and possible disruptions. Nigerians’ protests on October 1st were mainly nonviolent, but they did reveal a great deal of discontent with how the government was handling economic matters. Protesters, headed by Omoyele Sowore, gathered under the Ikeja Bridge in Lagos to voice their displeasure with President Tinubu’s administration’s policies regarding inflation, rising fuel prices, and general economic hardship.
Security personnel were on high alert in Abuja during the protest.
This demonstration was a part of a larger campaign spearheaded by Civil Society organisations, such as the #EndBadGovernance movement, which has previously coordinated demonstrations of this nature. Security personnel were on high alert in Abuja, particularly around Eagle Square, the site of the Independence Day celebrations. Despite facing obstacles and a strong police presence, protesters were nevertheless able to express their displeasure with the rising expense of living and the government’s incapacity to lessen the suffering of common Nigerians.
While the protests in Lagos and Abuja stayed peaceful, in other areas, like Kano, where the rally did not materialise as planned, it was suppressed by an overbearing police presence. Overall, despite the fact that there was no violence during the protests, they did highlight the growing dissatisfaction among Nigerians and demonstrated their willingness to confront the government over its economic policies. The incident is indicative of growing dissatisfaction with the nation’s economic and governmental systems.
Similarities exist between October 1st protest & the 2012 Occupy Nigeria.
Prominent Nigerian Politician and activist Omoyele Sowore is well-known for taking a strong stand against Corruption and mismanagement in government. At the University of Lagos, where he organised demonstrations against military rule, Sowore rose to prominence as a student leader in the late 1990s. His online news portal Sahara Reporters exposes corruption and misgovernance in Nigeria. With the RevolutionNow protests in 2019, Sowore called for nationwide protests against economic mismanagement, Human Rights violations, and inadequate governance. Over the years, Sowore has been active in a number of initiatives.
International organisations strongly denounced the Nigerian government’s decision to arrest and hold him for several months as a result of this. Similarities exist between the October 1st protest and the Occupy Nigeria movement of 2012, which saw Nigerians take to the streets to protest the elimination of gasoline Subsidies by the government. Large-scale demonstrations, strikes, and altercations with law enforcement were all part of that movement. Under President Bola Tinubu’s government, fuel price increases have once again become a source of unrest. When the government eliminated Fuel Subsidies in 2023, the price of fuel skyrocketed, rising from about ₦189 per litre to over ₦600 per litre, which further increased inflation.
Related Article: Protesters Push for Change in Economic Crisis
Millions of Nigerians were experiencing a severe financial crisis due to inflation, which as of August 2023 was at an all-time high of 25.8%. Protests have become more likely as a result of these economic difficulties as well as increased Unemployment and insecurity. Approximately 133 million Nigerians, according to recent figures, suffer from multidimensional poverty, which includes limited access to healthcare, education, and basic Infrastructure in addition to financial destitution. This pervasive suffering has given rise to demonstrations such as the one spearheaded by Sowore, in which demonstrators demand immediate government action to solve the nation’s economic and social problems.